Ive been really nervous all day. I left work and forgot to tell the oncoming nurse that my pt's tube feeds had to be turned off at a certain time during the day as per a new order placed on my shift. (to cycle tube feeds)
I know that the nurse was looking over all the orders as I left, especially the new orders. However, I am sooooo nervous and cant think of anything else.
Will I get in trouble if he doesnt turn off the tube feeds? Or is it her responsiblity to look at the orders????
you could be in trouble- not so much from the administration but the nurse to whom you gave report. It's her responsibility to review the orders and administer the T.F. per order. Make no mistake if it was a change in routine or a new order I would have expected to get that in report. Organizational skills are the hardest thing to learn when you first start out. I find its helpfull to keep my "brains" (a note card with pertinant info on each patient) with me at all times. When there is something I need to report to the next nurse I make a note about it in red ink. Before I go home its the last thing I check over to make sure I didn't miss anything vital.
In the future, just call. I worked last week, and forgot to put the 1 liter of urine that I dumped on my flowsheet. I woke up at midnight, called and let the nurse know, and that was that.
Don't be afraid to call your unit and pass on info like that, I do it quite a bit and always feel so much better. (and then I can fall sleep, too- I work a night shift and my brain goes through every move I made that night and possible mistake before I can drift off- argh!)
What's funny is half the time I passed the info along but report was such a blur I'd forgotten. and, hey, I've gotten a few calls from seasoned nurses to tell me info they'd forgotten to give during report, too. It happens.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I feel more relaxed now.
I don't know a good nurse who doesn't occasionally call the next shift or on their day off to report something. We are human and have a lot to remember and a lot of information to pass on. I too feel better after I call and can relax and enjoy my time off.
That is why there are 3 shifts of nurses. We all take care of the patient and if the nurse is "upset", that's her issue to deal with. You did your job and she is responsible for what occurs on her shift. I always appreciate a call to let me know about something. We multitask and cover other areas and we most of all are human. AND I still wake up and think of things after 24 years of nursing.
suanna
1,549 Posts
you could be in trouble- not so much from the administration but the nurse to whom you gave report. It's her responsibility to review the orders and administer the T.F. per order. Make no mistake if it was a change in routine or a new order I would have expected to get that in report. Organizational skills are the hardest thing to learn when you first start out. I find its helpfull to keep my "brains" (a note card with pertinant info on each patient) with me at all times. When there is something I need to report to the next nurse I make a note about it in red ink. Before I go home its the last thing I check over to make sure I didn't miss anything vital.